2010 was the year of the mobile friendly website

The basic truth is that mobile devices are becoming more and more widely used to access websites.

In May 2010 a survey found that the UK smart phone users second most popular use for their phone was to access the web (after sending a text message).

The stats:

Google are activating 300,000 new Android devices every day

Worldwide smartphone sales increased by 96% in 2010 from the same time in 2009

Apple sold 13.5 million iPhone units in the third quarter of 2010

After selling a million units in the first 28 days after launch, Apple sold an estimated 4.5m iPads in the first three months.

But what does that mean to me, and how can I catch up? Simply put, if your site is not enabled to maximise the mobile user's surfing experience you could be missing out on a huge market.

Yes your site will work on a mobile device as it is, but as with all technology, the mobile user is getting more and more savvy. They now expect there to be a mobile version of the sites they visit and for it to serve them up all the same content but in a easy to view and navigate way that 'fits' their device.

Here is where we can help (hooray we hear you say!). Using a script on the web server, we can ensure that the type of browser and device a visitor is using is detected and redirect them to a mobile optimised site automatically. The mobile version of your site can, and should, leverage the same content as the main site, albeit in a cut down form. This means that the information only needs to be updated in one place. This will not only cut down on the time you need to invest in managing your sites but also give you piece of mind that at one click of a button your online job is done.

How much, we hear you say? (Much sucking of teeth ensues, followed by some umming and erring). Unfortunately there is no straight answer to this question. As with all technical builds how long is a piece of string is usually the answer. The technical build is just one part of this process: remember you have to make your site's design work at a completely different size and format. What your are of business is and how your business model is structured will answer the question of how much information you need to include on your mobile site.

So the long answer is - the more you need the more it will cost.

The short answer is - less than you imagine!

Come and talk to us about how we can get you ahead of the game in 2011, after all talking is still free!